


Joking Apart

by SaekoCrolla (Crollalanza)



Series: Sports Fest 2018 Haikyuu!! [31]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 04:18:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16211240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/SaekoCrolla
Summary: They deal with separation in much the same way they deal with everything, humour and lightness. But when Hanamaki's horizons in Italy widen, back in Miyagi, Matsukawa's sure he's stagnating. And maybe that's not funny.





	Joking Apart

**Author's Note:**

> written for sportsfest bonus round three. The prompt was 'most likely to be in a LDR'

Knowing something is going to happen, preparing for the event, counting off the days does not, after all, make it easier.

Joking about it does, they both tell themselves.

(but it doesn’t)

So Issei drawls about looking forward to not suffering indigestion being Taka’s guinea pig, and Takahiro quips that he can’t wait for the smell of grease and petrol to no longer be the first aroma he smells when he gets back from work.

Taka leaves for Italy one sunny day in late August. They all come to the airport to see him off, Oikawa adding a ‘see you soon’ because he’ll be in Rome for a tournament in three months, and Taka pretends to check his diary and says ‘nope, sorry, I’m unavailable.’ Everyone gets a hug, but it’s Issei who walks with him to the gate.

“Have fun with all that pasta,” are his last words.

“I’ll send you ravioli,” Taka replies, then hugs him again, tight as if they’re stuck together and he can’t let go.  But he sniffs as he releases him and turns away to pick up his bag. “If you get a chance to visit then…”

And Issei, choking back a sob, nods vigorously.

As he walks back to Oikawa and Iwaizumi, he realises his shoulder is damp.

“It’s only a year,” Oikawa says, and gives him a ‘look’, encouraging him to confide.

“Want to get some ramen?” Iwaizumi asks, changing the subject. “Oikawa’s paying.”

“HEY!”

 

~~~

 

It’s hard to miss someone when you text all the time. And at first that’s what they do. Taka sends pictures of the sights, or the latest ice cream flavour he’s tried. Issei’s taken to sending photos of cats in the neighbourhood, interspersing each one with part of a car he’s working on (‘in case you’re homesick for the grease’). 

But then Takahiro starts his college year and his time is at a premium. There are fewer ruins and more pictures of food being sent. He updates his Instagram with photos of tiramisu and gets tagged on Facebook by fellow students. His friend list expands; Issei’s remains the same: school friends, teammates for his local neighbourhood team, the odd buddy of Iwaizumi’s whom he’s got along with.

In Miyagi, although he’s busy, Issei stagnates and the cat pictures fizzle out.

 

~~~

 

Oikawa returns from Rome with a slight twinge in his ankle, and an envelope, which he hands over to Issei along with a tee shirt of the Pope which he thinks is funny. (It’s not.)

‘Hey’, the letter starts, ‘Can you get really good at volleyball and come out next time instead of Oikawa? He wouldn’t stop moaning about the food.’

Issei’s still laughing when he passes a cake shop and he takes a snap of a plate of cream puffs. It’s as he’s about to send it that a photo of a Ferrari engine arrives.

**[Missing you, grease monkey]**

**_[Missing you, too, cream puff]_ **


End file.
